About

the boxman

The essay, ‘The Boxman’, written by Ascher, analyzes the different activities of the characters without ever knowing anything about them. Asher implicates that loneliness does not necessarily mean unhappiness and it depends on the person’s choice and preferences more than anything. As in the case of the homeless man, he seems to have chosen to live the way he lives which points out that he is happier than most people who have a roof on their heads. One might think that these implications imply that the homeless person prefers a simple and easygoing life.For example, in paragraph 12, the mayor offers the homeless person aid but the he refuses to accept his goodwill. He is content and is living the way he wants to without any responsibilities or complications. As portrayed in paragraph 18, one can infer that the bowman prefers this kind of life and seems happy with it even though it might seem miserable and people may pity him. A normal person may have to deal with stress and feel more depressed than a person who just wanders about collecting boxes.The author in order to understand the content and satisfaction go the homeless person compared his situation to the kids in, ‘The Boxcar Children’, in which the kids seemed delighted and enjoyed their state similar to the homeless person. Although Ascher is convinced that people can be happy living alone without any interactions, but if loneliness occurs without having chosen solitude, it may make life a burden. She is able to convey this by introducing us to the lady in the coffee shop who is always alone. From paragraph 13-16 one can deduce that she is isolated and is always goes home alone. She is never seen with anybody, nor does she have or wear any possessions that may point out that she has loved ones who care for her. She is always amidst people and uses it as a means to escape from her loneliness. The author compares the homeless guy to the lady in the coffee shop by stating that in one instance the homeless...